Unlikely Miracle
by CloudedMirror89
Summary: Fate plays a cruel trick on Zack, Squall and Cloud. They meant so much to each other but now they're all lost and only love and determination will get them back together. ZxLxC shounen-ai. Cute/fluffy. I suck at summaries so its better than it sound.
1. Chapter 1: Lost Souls

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't sell. I don't do court. ;)**

**A/N: This is the only angst-ish chapter...i dont do angst very well...the rest is happy.**

:UNLIKELY MIRACLE:

:LOST SOULS:

"There he is!"

"Get'em!"

Cloud whipped around and his eyes widened. He knew those voices. They belonged to his best friends or boyfriends or whatever you wanted to call them. He loved them more than anything else...except when they sounded like that.

When they sounded like that it usually meant, no wait, always, it always meant that he should run. And run he did. He turned and ran, not even waiting for them to explain themselves. He ran straight out of the village and into the meadow behind the granary.

The chase didn't last long, it never did. Cloud was small and agile but Zack and Squall had much longer legs. They tackled him to the ground and pinned him.

"Where were you yesterday?" huffed Squall.

"My mum needed help birthing one of the cows," Cloud replied pleadingly. It was the truth but Cloud suspected that it wouldn't matter to them.

"You expect us to believe that?" asked Zack poking his side.

Cloud yelped and swatted at his hand, "I-It's the truth! I swear! You can ask my mum and you can see the newborn. In fact why don't we go now? The new born needs a name and you guys can help me name her? How 'bout it guys?"

"Excuses, excuses, you know we hate that don't you?" Squall smirked and poked Cloud's other side.

Cloud yelped again and tried to squirm away without any luck, "NO! They're not excuses! I swear- eep!"

Cloud's not-so-best friends tickled him mercilessly while telling him how disappointed they were. How they waited 'til sunset for him by the lake. How their entire week of planning had been foiled because a certain little blonde decided not to show up or send word that he couldn't make it and how that certain little blonde ought to be taught a lesson.

When they finally let him up Cloud was gasping for breath. "It's not fair," he pouted, "You always do that me. And I really was busy! I don't tell cows when to go into labor!"

Squall and Zack laughed and kissed his cheeks. Cloud blushed and mumbled, "It's still not fair." Cloud crossed his arms, turned and headed back towards the village. The boys followed putting an arm around his shoulders.

"You know that's not entirely true," Zack grinned slyly, "Squally here's ticklish too."

"Hey you said you wouldn't tell!" cried Squall.

"I crossed my fingers!"

"Zack!"

They argued playfully all the way back to the village. Even though they were in a time of war the three boys always found time for fun and laughs. Times were hard for every one. Zack had lost both his parents in the war. Cloud's father was fighting in the war as well. Squall's father had lost an arm. There was no one in the village that was left untouched by the war. But for Zack, Squall and Cloud having each other was all that mattered.

"So I'll meet you guys by the shop for lun-"

"Hey what's that?" cried Squall cutting Cloud off. They turned to look at what Squall was pointing at. A large fighter plane was flying past overhead.

"Look there's more!"

"Wait something's falling out of them!"

"THEY'RE THE WAR PLANES! RUN! RUN!!"

KABOOM!

"It's an attack! Head for cover!" cried Zack. He grabbed Cloud's and Squall hands and ran. "Whatever happens, don't get separated!"

A bomb blasted the house next to them and sent the boys flying. Squall and Cloud got up slowly. Cloud was holding his side, while Squall tried to wipe the blood flowing from his face.

"Where's Zack!?" cried Cloud frantically.

"There!" Leon pointed. They wove around the other villagers towards the burning building. "Zack!"

Zack didn't move. He didn't get up. Cloud shook him. "Zack! Zack get up!"

Squall looked horrified, "C-Cloud, he's not breathing. Zack's not breathing!"

"WHAT!? NO!! ZACK GET UP!!" Cloud cried.

"Cloud!" "Squall!"

The boys turned turned.

"Mum!?" "Pa!"

Cloud's mother and Squall's father ran up to their sons and picked them up and ran.

"NO! Wait! What about Zack? We can't leave him! Mum we can't!" cried Cloud trying to struggle out of his mother's arms.

"Pa! I'm not leaving him!" argued Squall pulling away from his father.

"We can't do anything for him anymore. He's better off now." Squall's father replied picking up his son. More bombs fell. And the building where Zack lay exploded.

"ZACK!" the boys screamed. The parents split up and began going in different directions.

"Hey! No! Pa! Where are you going? Go that way! No! Cloud!"

"Squall! Mum no! Go the other way!" The boys reached for each other but their parents kept running searching for shelter.

The ally Squall's father had turned into exploded and Squall was thrown against a brick wall. He groaned, "Pa! Pa!? Are you alright!?"

"SQUALL! NO!!" cried Cloud. The ally had just exploded and he couldn't see whether Squall had survived.

Squall looked up. He could still see Cloud being carried away by his mother, screaming his name. He watched in slow motion as a bomb headed fell from the sky right towards Cloud and his mother, "CLOUD!"

When the ally exploded Squall had heard a blood curdling scream. _NO! _Rocks flew at him and hit his head. His vision blurred and darkened. He had lost them all. At least he knew that he had lost enough blood to be able to join them.

**A/N: Do you like it? Should I continue? :) PLEASE REVIEW!! FYI there is more to the story.**

**Edited. Thank you Tobi-Uchiha :) **


	2. Chapter 2: Hope

:UNLIKELY MIRACLE:

:HOPE:

...beep...beep...beep...beep...

His heard like hell and the incessant beeping was going to drive him insane. He groaned involuntarily. He felt stiff all over. He forced himself to sit up.

"Get the doctor! The boy's waking up!"

"You're kidding! After all this time! He's..."

"Just get the doc!"

Hey kid, you alright? How are you feeling.

He was about to say, '_I just exploded how do you think I feel?' _But his dry throat only let out a hacking cough.

"Want some water?" asked the nurse.

He nodded and was promptly handed a glass of water. He drank slowly. His throat was so dry he felt he hadn't drunk anything in years. The doctor finally came in.

"Hey there. How are you doing? I thought you were never going to come out of your stupor. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He tried to reply, '_Of course? What do you take me for a moron? I'm little, not stupid.' _Only a series of painful grunts came out. He scowled.

"Don't worry. You'll get your voice back. For now just nod, yes or shake your head, no.

He nodded.

"Alright! Then I'm going to take your vitals and then do some brain scans to see how well you are functioning. There's nothing to worry about from here. Does that sound ok?" asked the doctor kindly.

The boy nodded.

.:Couple Weeks Later:.

"How's speech coming along?"

"It's better," the boy replied throatily.

"And your memory?"

"I think I got most of it back."

"Remember you name yet?" the doctor grinned.

"It's Zack." Zack sneered. The doctor and the nurses had made fun of what to call him since he couldn't remember his name. At least now he could be addressed properly.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"The fighter planes dropping bombs. We- we were running, Cloud, Squall and I. I told them not to get separated. We were headed for shelter. I guess we got caught in an exposion." Zack replied slowly, "Did you find any others with me?"

The doctor looked grim, "Zack... kid, we were lucky to find you. Honestly, you should have been dead. When we found you, you had a concussion and by the time we got you to a hospital you had gone into a coma. I almost thought that you wouldn't make it.

Zack nodded sadly, "Hey doc? How long has it been since the bombing?"

The doctor looked warily, "You were in a coma for two weeks but you went into a stupor. You have to understand...stupors can last a long time sometimes months to even years. Frankly- "

"Doc. How long?" Zack interrupted slightly irritated.

The doctor paused and then sighed, "It's been eight years Zack."

Zack looked shocked. Eight years. That meant that he was about twenty now. He had lost all his teenage years. The doctor had said he was a miracle case. People don't recover fully in these cases. Yet here he was. Eight years after the bombing, alive and doing fairly well.

"They have to be alive," Zack said more to himself than the doctor.

"I'm sorry. Come again?"

"Cloud and Squall...," said Zack determinedly, "I'll find them. There's no purpose of me being alive after all these years if they aren't alive. I'll find them. They had to have lived. They had to have."

* * *

**A/N: Review? Pretty please? :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Found

:UNLIKELY MIRACLE:

:FOUND:

It had been ten years since the bombing and two years since Zack had regained his consciousness. Although he had been a miracle case it had still taken him over six months to completely recover. And although he had been searching for both Squall and Cloud since, finding them hadn't been an easy task. But today...he knew he'd be lucky today. Today was the anniversary of the day that had split them apart. Zack was going to make sure that he'd find at least one of the guys he loved so much.

Silently he raised the window a couple inches. He listened for any movement inside the room. Hearing none he quietly climbed into the dingy apartment and crawled under the bed.

He heard movement in the bathroom. The door opened and out walked what Zack would describe as a living Adonis. Piercing eyes, hair dripping from the shower and amazingly toned body wrapped in a towel.

Zack forced himself to close his eyes while the other got dressed. He would not take unfair advantage of his God. When he looked again the man was completely dressed and only then did Zack curse his own stupidity. He should have peeked at least a little!

He watched as the man moved about his room. The room was very gloomy and dark. The walls were bare and the only color that showed was the pink paint where the white paint had chipped off. The room only had one small desk with small, neat stacks of papers and a small dresser with a small mirror on it. Zack watched as he walked to his dresser, pulled open the bottom drawer and fished around for something.

Finding it he took it out slowly and cleaned it with the discarded towel nearby. When Zack saw what he was holding he nearly gave an audible gasp. The frame held a picture of Zack, Cloud and Squall with their arms around each others shoulders. Cloud's mother had taken the picture and given them each a copy. His own copy was probably long gone by now.

Zack watched as a defiant tear fell from the man's face. He was just about to reveal himself to him when someone knocked on the door.

"Leon! Leon, are you there? You're late today! Everyones gonna be worried about you and I don't want to-"

"You idiot! What're you doing? Today is _that_ day. Leon's always late on _that_ day. Let's go before he kills us! You know what he's gonna be like today. I can't believe you forgot! Aren't you..." the voices faded away

Zack looked back at the man holding the frame. Leon? What happened to his Squally? He watched as Sqa-Leon brought the frame up to his lips and kissed it twice.

"I love you guys...where ever you are." Leon wiped the tear from his eye and hardened his gaze. He placed the frame on his dresser got his things together and left.

Zack didn't move until he heard the front door close and lock with a click. Only then did he let out the breath he was holding. He crawled out from under the bed and picked up the frame and looked at it for a long time. "Time to see if you'll recognize me...Leon."

* * *

" Ooh ooh! I can take care of that! That'll be easy!"

"Okay Yuffie. And the last thing for today, Sora, Roxas and Riku...we have to clear the land for the res..."

Zack watched as _Leon_ (he was still trying to get used to the name) led some meeting. Apparently his Squally was trying to rebuild the city or something like that. Zack watched not wanting to interrupt; he'd wait until the end to make his grand appearance.

"Alright that's all the assignments for today. If for any reason you need me..."

And _that_ was his cue! Zack came out from where he was hiding and snuck behind Squall and covered his eyes with his hands and whispered in his ear, "Guess who?" Zack watched with amusement as Leon's friends got ready to attack him.

"I hope you know that if you value your life you'll let go," called the silver haired boy.

"Who the hell are you?" snarled a small blonde.

"Don't make me go ninja on you!" said the ninja girl. Yuffie was it?

"Hi! Are you new to the town? I'm Sora," greeted the small brunette, too cheerful for his own good.

"Let me go if you want to live" threatened his precious Squally pulling out his sword.

"Whoa there tiger! Calm down. I'm a friend," Zack grinned and said to the others, "And I'm sure _Leon _here would sorely regret killing me when it took me exactly ten years to find him again." Clue number one.

Zack smiled when he felt Leon tense but he didn't lower his weapon, "'_exactly_ ten years?'"

"That's right. Remember me yet?"

Leon growled, "Who. Are. You."

"Aww Squally. I'm hurt! You forgot me?" Clue number two.

"Who's Squally?" asked Sora.

"My name is Leon. Squall no longer exists."

"That's what you think Squally," Zack gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Clue number three. There was a collective gasp within the group.

"Oh I'm definitely going ninja on you now!" said Yuffie, "Where's my camera!?"

"Get. Off." Leon tried to throw Zack off him but wasn't able to; Zack had been expecting that reaction.

"Alright. Fine...but here's my last clue. I bet I'm the only one who ever knew this..." Zack moved one of his hands to the small of Leon's back and attacked him with tickles.

Leon yelped and fell to the ground in a forced laughter while Zack continued, "Remember me yet?"

"What did you do to him?" asked Riku horrified.

"Whoa! Can I try next?" asked Yuffie excitedly, "Where is that damned photo taking contraption!?"

"You better guess quick Leon!" laughed Sora.

"There's... no way...aak! No! Stop! ... Zack! NO!" Leon gasped between laughs.

Zack grinned and stopped his attack, "See. That wasn't so hard now was it?"

Leon turned to face Zack in shock. He hardly noticed his other friends discreetly leaving deeming the new man harmless, "But...I thought you were dead...I saw you die. How?"

Yuffie on the other hand had to be dragged out by both Riku and Roxas.

* * *

"I don't believe this," he said, "you're _alive_. After all these years," said Leon, "So what are you going to do next?"

Zack pulled Leon into his arms, "_We_'re going to find Cloud."

Leon pulled away slightly, "Zack...I...we...got separated. I-I don't think he made it."

"If the two of us made it, then he had to have made it. We'll find Cloud even if it means we have to search every last island," replied Zack, "Are you in?"

"Of course!" Leon smiled and kissed Zack's cheek. _Click! _

"Ooh that was great! Do it again Squally!" squealed Yuffie.

Leon whirled around and glared at Yuffie who was already waiting to take another picture. Leon blushed and growled, "Yuffie if you know what's good for you, you'll give that back right now!"

Yuffie cackled, "Nope! I don't think so. Zack why don't you kiss Squally here?"

Zack grinned and grabbed Squall and whispered seductively in to his ear, "Don't tell me you don't like this." He nipped at Squall's ear. Squall blushed and then whimpered at the contact. _Click! Click! Click!_

Yuffie squeal again furiously taking pictures, "Oh I can't wait to get these developed!"

"ZACK!" Leon pushed away.

Yuffie cackled again, "Lee who knew you were such a softy? Hmm? Wait til the others see this!"

"Yuffie! Give back now!" Leon chased her but she flipped away.

"Ah ah ah. You really don't want to take this from me," she warned.

"Gimme one good reason as to why I shouldn't kill you right now," growled Leon.

"Cuz if ya do. I won't tell you where Cloud Strife lives," she grinned triumphantly.

Leon's eyes widened. Zack ran up to Leon and asked, "You know Cloud?"

"Spiky blonde, pretty blue-eyes, too cute for his own good."

"That's him! Where is he? Is he alright?" cried Zack.

"Gimme one good reason why I should tell you anything at all," said Yuffie slyly throwing Leon's words right back.

Zack looked at Yuffie and blinked, "If we get Cloud back, there will be so much more of this," he swiftly grabbed Leon and clamped his lips over his and shoved his tongue into his mouth. Leon's brain short circuited and before he could protest, he moaned into the kiss.

"Screw telling you where he lives! I'll take you to him!" cried Yuffie not wasting a single second without taking a dozen pictures.

* * *

**A/N: Do you like? Please review it would men alot. :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Pictures

:UNLIKELY MIRACLE:

:PICTURES:

"TIFA!!" Yuffie squealed and launched herself at her long-time friend, "GUESS WHAT! Guess what!!"

"What? What?" laughed Tifa giving her overly hyper friend a hug.

"See them?" Yuffie pointed to Zack and Leon who had followed her, "They're looking for Cloud. Is he here?"

"No. He took the day off today," she replied, "Hi guys, I'm Tifa!"

"Hello. I'm Zack and this is Leon," Zack introduced.

"Nah uh. He's Squall. Right Squally?" Yuffie grinned.

"It's Leon," Leon growled.

"So why are you looking for Cloud?" asked Tifa.

"Well...we're-" Zack began, only to be cut off.

"They're Spiky's boyfriends! Both of them! Can you believe the lucky bastard?" cried Yuffie her eyes dancing wickedly, "Oo Tifa I'll tell you all the juicy details!"

"Yuffie I'm gonna kill you one day," threatened Leon trying to fight of the mad blush on his face.

"Well if you want to, Cloud should be going past Cid's garage soon. It's down the street towards the church in the middle of town. You could go look for him but he's probably not very happy today. If you run in to Cid he'll point you towards the meadow. That's probably where you'll find him."

Zack and Leon looked at each other and grinned, "Thanks."

"I need those parts that I ordered. They come in yet?" called Cid.

"Not yet. But I'll get them to you as soon as I get them," replied Cloud.

"Humph," Cid muttered.

Cloud was about to leave Cid's garage when he heard voices calling out to him. He turned his head and saw two small figures coming towards him.

"Denzel? Marlene?" he waited for them to catch up.

"Cloud! Cloud! You'll never guess what happened!" cried Marlene.

"What is it? Is Tifa alright?" Cloud asked worried.

"She's fine. But Yuffie came to visit and she brought two guys with her. They said they were-" Denzel tried to explain only to be cut off by Cloud.

"Did you eavesdrop again? How many times do I have to tell you? Eavesdropping is rude. If I have to-"

"They were looking for you!" cried Marlene, ignoring the older blonde.

"One of them is Leon and the other is...uhh," Denzel tried to remember.

"Nah uh. It's Zack. And Yuffie says Leon's real name is Squall," said Marlene.

"Z-Zack? Sq-Squall?" Cloud froze.

"Look! There they are!" Cloud turned slowly. Denzel was pointing at two guys searching frantically for something or in this case someone.

Cloud's eyes widened and his body froze. One of them had dark black hair and pale skin while the other had longish brown hair with a scar along his face and a piercing gaze. Both looked exactly like his childhood friends only much taller. Their faces had lost their chubbiness and had been replaced with sharper angles. The cinnamon haired brunette had a scar across his face and Cloud vaugely remembered that on that fateful day his Squall had streams of blood across his face. He also remembered trying to save Zack's lifeless body before it had blown up. He remembered being ripped apart from Squall moments later only to see a bomb headed his way. He remembered losing his kind hearted mother. He thought he'd lost them forever. But no matter how much these two looked like his childhood friends how could they be? Cloud's heart ached.

"There he is!" cried Leon. He and Zack looked at Cloud and all three froze in their spots too shocked to believe that the others were in front of him.

Finally Zack cracked a grin and flashed his teeth. He started moving forward slowly, "Let's get him!" he laughed. And just like that it was as if they had gone back in time ten years.

As if it were a reflex, Cloud turned and ran while Zack and Leon gave chase. He didn't know why he was running. Maybe he felt that if this was one of life's cruel jokes he would be broken inside. Or maybe it was instinct from his childhood taking over his body. What ever the reason, within seconds Cloud had been tackled to the ground with Leon and Zack hovering above him, breathing heavily.

For what seemed like eternity they didn't move from their positions, lost in thought, in memories. They regained thier breaths.

Finally Cloud swallowed. "Y-you're alive?" he asked his voice wavering and hsi eyes shining too brightly.

"Just as alive as you are," replied Leon softly,

"Miss us?" asked Zack poking Cloud's side.

"More than anything," said Cloud laughing and swatting Zack's hand away. Without any hesitation Leon and Zack kissed Cloud who was only too happy to respond.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Denzel. You stand here. And Marlene? You come over here. Alright now kids take pictures like your lives depend on it. For every good picture you take I'll give you five munny. Got it?" explained Yuffie while positioning the kids at perfect angles for taking pictures.

"Yes ma'am!" "Got it!" the kids grinned.

"Ooo this is gonna be so much fun. I can't wait to Squallie's face!!" Yuffie grinned, "Ok! Start taking pictures!!"

_Click! Click! Click!..._

* * *

Fin

* * *

**A/N: That's the end. Did you like it? :) Please review!! It'd be greatly appreciated. **

**Dedication: Tobi-Uchiha-- Thanks so much for all your support. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have gotten past the first chapter. THANK YOU!!**


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